Ah, the French; more words for surrender than the Eskimo have for snow. Of course, looking at the demographics of the situation in France, this could just be an attempt to make an eventual fait accompli look planned, the way a cat does by licking its butt after stumbling and falling.

Arabic may well have been the language of science, mathematics, astronomy and technology ... in the Middle Ages. The Arab advances in those areas certainly outstripped those of Western Europe. From those who are literate in Arabic, the poetry ... especially that of the Sufi ... is outstanding.

Still ... that's all 500 to a 1,000 years old. Has there been anything comparable in the last 250 years? I don't think so.

Tam's right ... even if Sarkozy does have the hottest spouse of any head of state.

What's interesting is not what was said, but what was NOT said. It's true that Arabic was the language of science and mathematics. It's also true that this stopped being the case around 1200 AD. In fact, it was entirely reversed, where science was (and is) actively suppressed as subversive.

The reason for why this happened is pretty glaring in its absence from academic history discussions. There's quite a good chapter on it here:

It may have been the language of science eight hundred years ago, but that is ancient history..

..

There was a scandal last year, when he was meeting with the Czech prime minister. The transcript was supposed to be secret, but Czech journalists got it somehow..

Here's what he said about Arabs: [quote]"Do you know what it means to be alone faced with all these Arabs ?" Mr Sarkozy asked. "To have them on the telephone? Arabs are difficult* to deal with, you know." [/quote]

*in the Czech translation, it was more like "horrible / dreadful, not just difficult..

BTW, in France, there are conspiracy theories he's a CIA agent :) (wouldn't be so unusual, some Eastern Europe countries have KGB moles(or people who behave as if they were) for prime ministers)